Force Redirection Strap, System and Method of Use

ABSTRACT

A force re-direction strap, system, and method of use.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of protective headgear, including but not limited to sports involving high speedprojectiles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many individuals participate in sports or recreational activities thatexpose its participants and spectators to high velocity projectiles. Forexample, baseball routinely features pitchers who throw pitches as fastas 90 miles per hour. Jai alai involves hurling balls in an enclosedarea at speeds that can reach as fast as 188 miles per hour. Theseactivities pose the risk of severe injury whenever an individual isstruck by the projectile. This is especially true when the projectilestrikes the head.

The current art tends to focus on securely attaching hard shielding andpadding to the head in order to reduce the impact by protecting with thehard shielding and absorbing the force with the padding. However, thesedesigns still make the head the focus of the remaining force vectors andthe head and/or neck receive the rest of the residual force because thesecuring means which holds the mask tightly to the head simply transfersthat force.

To use baseball as an example, an umpire's mask consists of metal barsto shield the head from impact and padding to absorb the blow. However,the umpire's mask does nothing to prevent the ball from transferring theremaining force to the head and neck. The umpire's mask protects thehead from full force of the impact from a wild pitch or foul tip, butmany umpires still suffer head injuries from the remaining forceincluding, but not limited to, whiplash concussions or jaw injuries.

In recent years, medicine has become more aware of the severity of headinjuries. Concussions, in particular, have been linked to mentalillnesses such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Many of thesesports and recreational activities have tried to minimize the risk ofhead injury by developing protective head gear.

The present invention addresses these shortcomings by adjusting thesecuring means to allow the head gear to redirect the force and releasefrom the head upon impact with the high velocity projectile. This allowsthe protective head gear to not only protect the individual using itsforce absorption qualities, but also allows for the residual force to beredirected from the head by allowing the protective head gear to releasefrom the head upon impact. This redirection achieves the desirableresult of greatly reducing the risk of head injury to the individual.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction and to thearrangement of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Inaddition, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein are for the purpose of description and should not beregarded as limiting.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention comprises a securing means, which, in oneembodiment of the invention may be a strap, for a piece of protectivehead gear, that allows the head gear to release from the head uponimpact with a high velocity projectile, in order to assist in thedispersion of the force of the impact.

In one or more embodiments, the securing means may cross the back of theskull. The securing means may release, if necessary, during theprojectile's impact with the head gear, re-directing the force vectorsaway from the head and neck and permitting the head gear to becomedislodged and release from the head. This prevents the head and neckfrom receiving the force of the impact that the padding of the headgeardid not absorb. The securing means may be a strap, a band, a cord, arope, a cable or other similar flexible, semi-resilient, restraintmaterials.

In one or more embodiments, the securing means may be a three strapassembly. The straps can be made from any flexible, semi-resilient,restraint material, but the preferred embodiment uses approximately a2-½ ounce weight of durable material, for example, nylon. In oneembodiment, the first strap forms two loops to attach onto the sides ofa protective head gear. This strap goes around the back of the head, andhas the midpoint raised so as to form an acute angle with the verticalaxis of the skull. In one embodiment, the first strap may have anadjusting means on it so as to better fit the strap to an individual'sskull. The adjusting means may be a snap, a hook, hook and pile fabric(i.e., Velcro®), ties, rings, clamps, carabiners, buckles or othersimilar methods of adjusting the length of an object.

In one embodiment, the second strap attaches to the top of the head gearand goes down the back of the head and may be attached to the firststrap. In one embodiment, the second strap may have an adjusting meanson it so as to better fit the shape of the individual's skull. Theadjusting means may be a snap, a hook, hook and pile fabric (i.e.,Velcro®), ties, rings, clamps, carabiners, buckles or other similarmethods of adjusting the length of an object.

In one embodiment, a third strap may fit across the top of the skull anddown towards the sides of the skull, further connecting the first strapto the second strap. In one embodiment, the third strap may have anadjusting means on it so as to better fit the shape of the individual'sskull. The adjusting means may be a snap, a hook, hook and pile fabric(i.e., Velcro®), ties, rings, clamps, carabiners, buckles or othersimilar methods of adjusting the length of an object.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, toinclude variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and mannerof operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obviousto one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to thoseillustrated in the drawings and described in the specification areintended to be encompassed by the present invention. Therefore, theforegoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of theinvention.

Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur tothose skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention tothe exact construction and operation shown and described, andaccordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the invention.

Other objectives, features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description and drawings wherein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a left side perspective view taken of one embodiment whenattached to a protective head gear.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of one embodiment when attached to aprotective head gear.

FIG. 3 is a top down perspective of one embodiment when attached to aprotective head gear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the protective headgearsecuring means 100 comprises at least a first strap 102 removably orfixedly attached to a protective head gear 104. First strap 102 mayfurther comprise at least a first means 106 for adjusting the length ofthe first strap 102. In one embodiment, the first strap 102 transversesthe back of the user's head 108. The first strap 102 is configured sothat the angle between the first strap 102 and the vertical axis of theuser's head 108 is a substantially acute angle.

In one embodiment, the at least one adjusting means 106 on the firststrap 102 allows the user to adjust the length of the first strap 102 tofit appropriately on the user's head 108.

In one embodiment, there is at least a second strap 110 which attacheseither fixedly or removably to the top of the protective head gear 104.The second strap 110 extends from the top of the protective head gear104 down to the midpoint of the first strap 102. The second strap 110may be fixedly attached by an attachment means 116. Alternatively, thesecond strap 110 may be removably attached to the first strap 102 (notpictured here).

In one embodiment, the second strap 110 may have an adjusting means (notpictured here) on it so as to better adjust to the shape of the user'shead 108.

In one embodiment of the invention, at least a third strap 112 may beconnected either fixedly or removably to both the first strap 102 andthe second strap 110. The third strap may be fixedly attached by anattachment means 114.

Referring now to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the first strap 102 isdepicted traversing the back of the user's head 108. The second strap110 is fixedly attached to the first strap 102 by an attachment means116. The third strap 112 is depicted traversing the top of the user'shead 108, connecting both sides of the first strap 102 to the secondstrap 110.

Referring now to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, the first strap 102 is shownconnected from one side of the protective head gear 104 to the other. Anadjustment means 106 allows the user to adjust the length of the firststrap 102 to fit the user's head (not shown here). A third strap 112 isfixedly attached to the first strap 102 by an attachment means 114.

In one embodiment, a second strap 110 is shown removably attached to theprotective head gear 104. The second strap 110 is depicted here fixedlyattached to the third strap 112 by an attachment means 302. Anadjustment means 304 allows the user to adjust the length of the secondstrap 110 to fit the user's head (not shown here).

We claim:
 1. A force redirection strap for protective head gear comprising: at least a first strap with a first and a second end wherein the first end and the second end of the at least a first strap is removably attached to opposite lateral sides of the protective head gear; and wherein the at least a first strap is positioned such that the first strap is above the horizontal plane of the midpoint of a user's head.
 2. The force redirection strap of claim 1, further comprising at least a second strap with a first and a second end wherein the first end is removably attached to the top of the protective head gear and the second end is fixedly attached to the midpoint of the at least a first strap.
 3. The force redirection strap of claim 1, further comprising at least a third strap with a first and a second end wherein the first and second ends are fixedly attached to opposite lateral sides of the at least a first strap.
 4. The force redirection strap of claim 1, further comprising a means for adjusting the length of the first strap.
 5. The force redirection strap of claim 2, further comprising a means for adjusting the length of the second strap.
 6. A method of using a force redirecting strap comprising: providing at least a first strap with a first and a second end wherein the first end and the second of the at least a first strap are removably attached to opposite lateral sides of the protective head gear; and positioning the at least a first strap such that the first strap is above the horizontal plane of the midpoint of a user's head.
 7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of providing at least a second strap with a first and a second end wherein the first end is removably attached to the top of the protective head gear and the second end is fixedly attached to the midpoint of the at least a first strap.
 8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of providing at least a third strap with a first and a second end wherein the first and second ends are fixedly attached to opposite lateral sides of the at least a first strap.
 9. The method of claim 6 wherein further comprising the step of providing a means for adjusting the length of the first strap.
 10. The method of claim 7 wherein further comprising the step of providing a means for adjusting the length of the second strap.
 11. A force redirection strap system comprising: protective head gear, at least a first strap with a first and a second end wherein the first and second end of the first strap are removably attached to opposite lateral sides of the protective head gear, at least a second strap with a first and a second end wherein the first end is removably attached to the top of the protective head gear and the second end is fixedly attached to the midpoint of the at least a first strap, at least a third strap with a first and a second end wherein the first and second ends are fixedly attached to opposite lateral sides of the at least a first strap, a means for adjusting the length of the first strap, a means for adjusting the length of the second strap; and wherein the at least a first strap is positioned such that the first strap is above the horizontal plane of the midpoint of a user's head. 